'Can't bowl 10 overs': Gambhir on Hardik Pandya's prolonged absence
What's the story
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir has provided an update on Hardik Pandya's fitness after the team's 3-0 T20I series victory over Afghanistan. Gambhir said that the all-rounder is not yet match-ready and can't bowl a full quota of 10 overs in an ODI. The Mumbai Indians captain has been out of action for the national team since IPL 2026 due to multiple injuries, hampering India's preparation for the ODI World Cup.
Return strategy
Hardik hasn't played a lot of cricket: Gambhir
Gambhir stressed that the focus is on getting Pandya back into competitive cricket before he can return to the Indian team.
"Hardik at the moment cannot bowl 10 overs, and he hasn't played a lot of cricket since the IPL, so we don't want to push him into international cricket because international cricket can be extremely tough on your body as well," Gambhir said.
Clear message
Clear message to Hardik Pandya: Gambhir
Gambhir also clarified that the communication with Pandya has been clear and he has been asked to play the upcoming India A matches.
"And that was the clear message to him that if he can play that India A series, and then if everything goes well, he can come back and be part of the T20S and the one-day squad as well," Gambhir said.
Team dynamics
Will India play Nitish and Hardik together?
While Hardik has been missing from the action, India have been using Nitish Kumar Reddy as a fast-bowling all-rounder.
Gambhir said that when Hardik is available, the management would be open to playing both all-rounders.
Recently, Nitish was withdrawn from India's Asian Games squad and added to the ODI team for an upcoming contest against the West Indies.